US strikes in Iran leave 38 dead and over 400 injured, reports state media

Tehran (Iran): At least 38 people have been killed and more than 400 others injured in US strikes across several Iranian provinces, Iran's Health Ministry said on Friday, stating that the attacks targeted civilian infrastructure, including bridges, power facilities and the maritime control tower at Chabahar's Shahid Kalantari Port.

According to Iranian state media Press TV, the strikes carried out from late Thursday into early Friday affected areas in the Hormozgan, Bushehr, Sistan and Baluchestan, Khuzestan and Lorestan provinces.

Iran's Health Ministry said the casualties included three women and one person below the age of 18, whilst 47 injured people remain hospitalised.

The maritime control tower at Shahid Kalantari Port in Chabahar was also destroyed in the strikes. However, the port's berths, cargo-handling facilities and other operational infrastructure remained intact, with no casualties reported at the site, as reported by Press TV.

US Central Command (CENTCOM) on Friday (local time) confirmed that it has "successfully destroyed" the surveillance tower at Iran's Shahid Kalantari Port in Chabahar, saying the facility formed part of a maritime surveillance network used by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) to monitor commercial shipping in the Gulf of Oman, particularly through the Strait of Hormuz.

Iranian news agency IRNA said technical and operational teams began assessing the damage, securing the area and reviewing steps to resume port activities. Cargo loading and unloading operations are expected to restart after safety checks are completed, it added.

Meanwhile, authorities in Hormozgan province reported major damage after strikes hit several locations, including six bridges in Khamir County. The Hormozgan Governor's Office said seven people were killed and nine others injured in the attacks.

Officials said the strikes affected transport links connecting Bandar Abbas, Bandar Khamir and Lar, whilst emergency teams worked to restore movement through alternative routes, Press TV reported.

Iranian officials also reported casualties in Bandar Abbas, saying one person was killed and eight others injured after a strike hit a residential area. Separately, a railway branch station in the city was damaged, leaving two people injured, according to provincial authorities, as reported by Press TV.

In Bushehr province, Governor Mohammad Mozaffari said two strikes were reported within hours, injuring one person.

In Khuzestan province, Deputy Governor Valiollah Hayati said US forces targeted areas around Ahvaz, with authorities assessing the extent of damage. Iranian officials had earlier alleged that strikes near Ahvaz forced the temporary evacuation of Shahid Baghaei Hospital, which specialises in cancer treatment.

In western Iran's Lorestan province, Deputy Governor Saeed Pourali said a strike was reported in the Veysian district of Chegeni County.

The developments came after US Central Command (CENTCOM) said it had carried out multiple rounds of strikes against Iran, targeting military capabilities, including coastal surveillance systems, air defence sites, logistics infrastructure and maritime assets.

Iranian authorities have accused the United States of targeting civilian infrastructure, whilst Washington has said its operations are aimed at degrading Iranian military capabilities and responding to threats against regional security.

Iran has also announced retaliatory strikes against US military assets in the region, claiming attacks on American positions in Bahrain, Kuwait, Syria and Oman.

ANI